Googlebooks After a Week: Why Android Is Both the Best and Worst Part
After a week of daily use, The Verge describes Android as both the best and worst part of Google's new Googlebooks, in a review published Oct. 12.
The review covers Asus and HP versions of the Android-powered laptops. Google describes the line as premium laptops designed to sync seamlessly with an Android phone, and opened pre-orders Sept. 21. Google Early hands-on impressions had said the idea looked promising for Android phone owners who want a matching laptop. The Verge A week of use complicates that picture.
Setup takes a few minutes. It includes registering a fingerprint or face login, signing into a Google account, and connecting a phone to bring over apps and backups. The two test units behaved differently at that step. One tried to install every phone app by default, the other installed only desktop-optimized ones. The reviewer had to step in to make the two match.
The strongest parts come from Android itself. Because apps run directly on the laptop, owners can download HBO Max and Netflix shows for offline viewing. Phone notifications appear in the laptop interface, so there is less need to pick up the phone during work. The Verge
App quality is uneven. In the Play Store, a label that says Optimized for desktop usually means the phone layout is stretched to fit a larger screen, with basic mouse and keyboard support. It does not mean the layout was redesigned for a laptop. The review describes Slack's mobile version as unworkable on a desktop, and Adobe's Android apps as limited versions of the desktop programs. Google has said separately that not every Android app runs well on Intel-based Googlebooks, with a small number needing extra work from developers. The Verge
The weakest parts also come from Android, in this case the phone-to-laptop link. The review describes phone connectivity as unreliable, app casting, which is running a phone app on the laptop screen, as awkward, and file sharing as flat-out broken in testing.
Pairing was not automatic. It required changing cross-device settings on both the laptop and the phone, plus multiple restarts. Both devices have to be on the same Wi-Fi network with Bluetooth turned on. The features do not work offline. Moving to a different Wi-Fi network broke the connection, and restarting the Googlebook was needed to fix it.
Different hardware pairings behaved differently. The Asus unit connected reliably to an Oppo phone but would not connect to other phones. The HP unit switched between that Oppo and a Vivo X Fold 6. Both laptops failed to see a Pixel 11 Pro Fold for days before connecting to it for the first time. Even a phone running Android 17 often would not stay connected for file sharing and app casting.
That matters because the design assumes an always-on link. The Files app is meant to show files from a connected phone, and Googlebooks were announced with the ability to cast apps from a phone to the laptop without touching the phone. The Verge The laptops also have two app drawers, one for apps stored on the laptop and one tied to the phone link. When the link drops, half of that setup weakens.
In my view, the broader context here is familiar from past platform launches. Local Android apps behave in a predictable way, while the cross-device features depend on same-network Wi-Fi, active Bluetooth, and a pairing that does not survive moving between networks, which would create support work for technical buyers. For developers, the Optimized for desktop badge now signals basic compatibility rather than full mouse, keyboard, and layout parity. I have watched my own kids adopt Chromebooks and Android tablets without caring about the operating system, and only notice when sharing failed. If Google makes pairing tougher, reconnection automatic, and the Optimized label stricter, the idea of an Android laptop paired to an Android phone stays attractive. Until then it is a capable Android laptop with a phone companion that cannot be relied on.
